


Comrades in Arms

by fabrega



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Blackwatch Era, M/M, Mission Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-26
Updated: 2017-07-26
Packaged: 2018-12-02 19:58:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,565
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11516364
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fabrega/pseuds/fabrega
Summary: "We need a diversion. Something at or around the front gate, big and loud and threatening--something that the majority of their security would want or need to respond to." Gabe turns back to Jesse. "You know how the Strike Commander has been pushing more joint Overwatch/Blackwatch ops? I think it's time Blackwatch planned one."





	Comrades in Arms

**Author's Note:**

  * For [smarshtastic](https://archiveofourown.org/users/smarshtastic/gifts).



> Blackwatch Week Day 4: Recognition
> 
> I've been thinking about this since the Uprising event, and I'm glad to finally have a chance to do something with it. Thanks, as always, to the excellent and super [smarshtastic](https://archiveofourown.org/users/smarshtastic/). ♥

"It should all work," Jesse says, looking over the maps, schematics, and schedules they have brought up on the array of monitors and laid out across the desk. "We've got the people we need, a way in and out, and the opportunity. We just need the go-ahead."

Gabe frowns. "I want to believe that, but I'm worried about the compound security." He steps closer to the monitors, into Jesse's space. It's very late, the door is locked, and they've been at this all evening--Jesse, for one, is not going to complain if their professionalism slips a little. Who would even catch them, at this hour? 

"You think we can't get by the guns?" Jesse asks.

"No, the guns aren't going to be the problem. The problem is going to be this." Gabe leans past Jesse to point at one particular building on the closest monitor. 

(He also puts a hand on Jesse's waist and leans his chin on Jesse's shoulder. Jesse hums a pleased noise, and tilts back against him.)

"That's, what, weapons storage?"

"We don't have confirmation on that. We don't know what it is. If this building is full of enemy combatants instead of rifles, the strike team will be in a hell of a lot of trouble."

Jesse taps a thoughtful finger against his chin. "So do we plan for three times as many bad guys as we have been? We should still hit this target, if we can, but with those numbers--"

"We can, and we should. What we really need is a guarantee that what we're going to be up against won't be more than we were planning for."

Jesse turns to face him. The arm that had been snaked around Jesse's waist is now holding him close to Gabe's torso. "Sounds like you have an idea."

Gabe nods, kissing Jesse's cheek almost absentmindedly before pulling away to stare more closely at the map. "We need a diversion. Something at or around the front gate, big and loud and threatening--something that the majority of their security would want or need to respond to."

"Thoughts on what that diversion might be? Edwards could probably rig us up a decent explosion, but it could be a risk trying to get the stuff we need close enough to the compound for it to be really effective, and then he'd have to figure out how to join up with the rest of us--"

"No explosives," Gabe says. He turns back to Jesse. "You know how the Strike Commander has been pushing more joint Overwatch/Blackwatch ops?"

Jesse does know. He's been out on some of these ops, working background on what is usually some boring bullshit while the Overwatch agents are more visible and take more credit--the large-scale Overwatch/Blackwatch dynamic made small, explicit, _personal_. He has not been enjoying these ops.

He nods.

"I think it's time Blackwatch planned one."

.

They find Reinhardt on a bench in the courtyard, in the shadow of the statue of the Strike Commander. He lights up when Gabe approaches, beckoning him and Jesse over with gusto.

"Commander Reyes! It's been too long. To what do I owe the pleasure?" Reinhardt booms. 

"Overwatch business, I'm afraid," Gabe says, taking a seat next to Reinhardt on the bench. Jesse keeps his distance a little, leans with his arms folded up against the statue of Morrison.

Gabe outlines the plan for Reinhardt, who nods seriously at all the right places. "You can assemble your own team for this if you want, or we can take your recommendations and pick people ourselves," Gabe says. 

Reinhardt looks thoughtful, names a handful of agents: Janssen, Klevestav, Anaya, Safonov, Liao.

Gabe seems surprised. "You think we can get Liao? I didn't think she went out on many missions these days."

Reinhardt laughs. "I think she and I both would jump at the chance to work with you again, Commander." He turns his gaze to Jesse. "And McCree! We shall finally get a chance to be out in the field together, comrades-in-arms after all these years!"

"It's shaping up to be an exciting time," Jesse says, nodding.

When they leave, heading back for Gabe's office, Jesse pulls him aside and says quietly, "Are you sure about this? About him? He's…"

It's not that he doesn't like Reinhardt; he _likes_ Reinhardt. Reinhardt was one of a very few people who was nice to Jesse in those first few years in Blackwatch, when he was a skinny little punk who'd chafed at authority, mistrusted by pretty much everyone who knew the circumstances of how he'd joined Blackwatch. Reinhardt had gone out of his way to be kind to Jesse, even when Jesse hadn't deserved it. But that kindness, that desire to help people and do the right thing, has Jesse worried about how he'll perform on a mission for Blackwatch. The people they're going up against on this mission seem like the kind of people who'd tear him apart, armor or no.

"Trust me," Gabe says.

"I do," Jesse answers automatically. "You know I do. He's just… You know how he is. The stuff we do, I thought we did so that people like him didn't have to."

Jesse doesn't like the smirk Gabe gives him. "You've never been out in the field with him. He's a tough old warrior; he'll outlive us all and go down swinging. Just wait and see."

.

The briefing room feels surprisingly tense as the agents filter in, Blackwatch already seated on one side of the table, Overwatch taking seats on the other. They'd gotten everybody on Reinhardt's original list and then some, including Liao, who sits next to Reinhardt with her feet propped up on the table. On the Blackwatch side, they've got Prithi, Shiga, Domingo, Genji, and March. The Overwatch folks give the rest of them wary looks; if they've heard even a fraction of the rumors and misinformation about Blackwatch floating around the organization, Jesse thinks, those looks are probably justified. Hell, Jesse had started some of those rumors himself, and if anything, they don't look scared _enough_.

Gabe, Jesse, and Reinhardt had all agreed that it was best if the Overwatch agents didn't know what Blackwatch was up to, so the Blackwatch briefing has already happened. The plan is simple enough: the Blackwatch agents will make their way through the weak spot in the back wall of the compound and into the main building, Once there, they'll take a set of winding hallways to the command center, where they'll download the files they need and grab any additional intel they find before cutting power to the compound and making their way out in the ensuing chaos. 

Now, the Blackwatch agents are sticking around for the Overwatch portion of the briefing. Gabe had stepped into an adjoining room to take a call from Morrison--well, Jesse assumes it's Morrison, there are very few people who can make Gabe roll his eyes like that--and so he enters the briefing room a little later than everyone else. Jesse is just about ready to start, then Reinhardt notices Gabe and jumps to his feet. The other Overwatch agents follow his lead, even Liao. The Blackwatch agents exchange a look amongst themselves.

Gabe laughs and waves a hand at the standing agents. "That's really not necessary, please, sit down. It's not that kind of mission." 

Jesse notices that Reinhardt, first on his feet, is the last to sit back down.

The briefing goes as planned. Gabe outlines the role of the Overwatch agents--the Blackwatch path is entirely dependent on the way being cleared for them, so the Overwatch agents are going to be loud, visible, and distracting at the front entrance of the compound, pulling as much of the compound's security force as possible to them and away from the Blackwatch team.

"We want you to make as much of a fracas as you can, but don't get yourselves into too much trouble. If it starts to look bad, you can and should retreat, even just a little ways. You're a distraction, not cannon-fodder." 

The Overwatch agents nod. From what Jesse knows about the typical Overwatch mission, they're going to be seeing a lot more action than usual. 

Gabe continues, "You'll be reporting to Lieutenant Wilhelm in the field." If it's possible, Reinhardt sits even straighter in his chair, and he grins.

.

When the day of the mission comes, the agents enter the transport hangar in twos and threes, talking amongst themselves, cheerful but professional, all suited up. Jesse's only seen Reinhardt in his full armor in person once or twice--apart from the ridiculous poster on the wall in Fareeha Amari's bedroom--and he has to admit, it's intimidating. It's blue-and-white with the Overwatch insignia on the chest-plate; it's also gargantuan, with shoulder-plates each seemingly wider than Jesse's shoulders, a glowing reactor in its back, and the face of a lion with glowing eyes on his left forearm where his shield projects from. The hammer he carries is larger still, taller than he is and rocket-powered. 

Right now, he's set the head of the hammer down on the floor of the transport hangar and is leaning up against the handle, visiting with the arriving agents. Liao is one of the last to arrive, decked out in a sleek black-and-red uniform that Jesse's only seen in old pictures with a flamethrower strapped to her back, and she saunters up and takes position next to Reinhardt, looking laid-back.

Gabe takes a headcount, making sure everyone is accounted for, and they check their comms. The Overwatch comms are set to one frequency, the Blackwatch comms to another; Gabe, Jesse, Reinhardt, and Liao each have one to match their agents and one set to a third frequency that the four of them will use to communicate, eliminating cross-team chatter.

Then they all board the transport. They head west, the setting sun visible out the front viewscreen of the transport. Jesse knows that by the time they reach their destination, it'll be dark. Conversation on the transport is hushed, like it always is before a big important mission, but the hush is exacerbated by the two groups of agents in close proximity like this. Jesse's not sure when it got like this, Blackwatch and Overwatch. He has friends in Overwatch, people he likes and trusts who he's pretty sure like and trust him too. It didn't used to be this bad--or maybe it did, and he's just more aware of it now that he's worked his way up the Blackwatch power structure. 

The good old days never turn out to have been all that good, just different. 

Gabe and Jesse make the rounds of their agents, checking in with everybody, double-checking that everybody knows the plan. The Blackwatch people are impatient, giving Jesse good-natured grief, and he understands the feeling. He's not nervous, not exactly, but he'll be happier when this is all over with.

They arrive at their destination in short order, setting down a ways away from the compound and piling out into the darkness. They check comms one last time, just to make sure, and then split here, the Overwatch agents going one way, the Blackwatch agents going the other.

On the Blackwatch side, it goes well. Genji scales the compound's back wall and opens their way in, and the agents make their way into the compound, across the relatively open space between them and the main structure with little trouble. They encounter only a cursory number of guards, but even from here they can hear the ruckus that the Overwatch agents are raising at the front gate. 

The comms they share with Liao and Reinhardt are full of noise, the two of them calling back and forth to each other, marking locations, making sure the Overwatch agents watch each others' backs. Through all of this, Reinhardt can be heard shouting joyously. From the chatter, it sounds like he is mostly keeping his shield up and cheering on the other agents--Liao in particular is standing behind the shield and shooting goons through it with the thirty-odd meter range on her flamethrower. But when the shield breaks and needs recharging, Reinhardt sweeps into action with his hammer, sending anyone who is unfortunate enough to get within hitting distance flying backwards as he swings it in wide, sweeping arcs.

He sounds like he's having fun. He sounds _terrifying_.

Jesse's sorry he ever doubted him.

Inside the main structure, the Blackwatch agents wind through the hallways exactly as planned, disabling the security system as they go, taking out ten guards before any of them can raise the alarm. They're quiet and efficient, and they make it to the command center even quicker than they'd planned.

"We're in," Gabe says in the command comms channel. "We'll let you know when we're ready to get clear."

Reinhardt acknowledges, and then goes back to shouting. 

In the command center, Domingo goes straight for the computers while Prithi and Genji take out the staff. Shiga and March take the door, making sure that the coast is clear and stays clear while they do their work inside. The Blackwatch comms get chattier now, Domingo reporting on her progress, Prithi and Jesse speaking aloud as they shuffle through the mess of papers and maps on the various command center desks, Genji talking menacingly to the one staffer they hadn't knocked out in an attempt to get intel that way. Gabe moves amongst the groups, checking on each of them in turn, double-checking everybody's work, making sure that they stick to the schedule.

When Domingo is done, that's their cue to leave. Jesse and Prithi gather everything they've determined isn't Not Important into a bag that Prithi had brought; Genji finally kills the guy he's been roughing up, snapping his neck cleanly and adding the body to the neat pile they'd made of the others; and Domingo pulls up the compound's power system and all the associated security systems.

"We're ready to head out. You guys ready?" Gabe asks the command comms.

"I was born ready!" Liao roars. In the background, Jesse can hear what sounds like particularly _crispy_ screaming.

Reinhardt chuckles. "We are ready when you are, sir!" he says.

The Blackwatch agents look to Gabe. "We're good to go." Genji powers up the LEDs built into his cybernetics, glowing soft red under the fluorescent bulbs of the command center, and then Domingo kills the lights.

They take a moment to let their eyes adjust to the darkness, then follow Genji's lights back out the way they came in. The route they take had been specially chosen not to bring them into contact with too many guards as security rushed towards the command center in the dark, and it seems like their planning has paid off; they are quick and quiet and only encounter one or two more hostiles, of whom they make short work.

Reinhardt's voice comes over the comms. "The situation has taken a turn for the worse here. What are your orders, sir?"

Gabe, when he answers, sounds more official than Jesse is used to. "Withdraw if you need to, Lieutenant. We can make it out now, and I trust your judgment."

With that, Reinhardt calls for retreat, and the Overwatch agents start to make their way back to the transport. They're there when the Blackwatch agents arrive, bandaging up what seem like mostly superficial wounds, and as soon as Gabe is sure that everybody is on-board, they take off.

The flight back is more raucous than the in-bound flight had been, everybody riding high on the adrenaline of a mission completed, a job well done. Somebody produces a pack of cards and a game of poker breaks out; a couple of people start swapping mission fish stories; and Klevestav moves very, very carefully around Genji, examining his cybernetics while Prithi and Shiga look on, amused.

Jesse, for his part, sits back and tries to let the tension drain out of his body. Sure, they're going to have a hell of a time when they get back to base, debriefing and then trying to sort through the intel they'd acquired, but there's a moment now where he can rest, the calm before another wave of storm. His hat is tilted down over his eyes when he hears someone clear their throat very close to him.

He looks up to see Reinhardt standing not too far away. "May I join you?" Reinhardt says, gesturing to the empty space next to Jesse on the bench. It doesn't look like enough space for him, but if he thinks he'll fit, who is Jesse to say no? Jesse pats the space in an invitation, and Reinhardt maneuvers himself down into it in a half-sitting, half-kneeling position.

"I wished to thank you, Agent McCree, for allowing me to take part in this mission," Reinhardt says. After how loud he's been so far, Jesse's kind of surprised that he's able to pitch his voice down so low, almost inaudible above the sound of the poker game.

Jesse's jaw works as he tries to figure out how to respond to that. "Ain't no need to thank me," he says after a moment. "Pretty sure my opinion wouldn't be enough to talk Reyes out of anything he's got his mind set on."

Reinhardt makes a thoughtful noise and looks across the transport. Jesse follows his gaze to see Gabe talking with Liao, Shiga, and Domingo. Gabe's not smiling, but the corners of his mouth aren't turned down quite as far as usual, and his eyes are twinkling--it's as close as he usually gets around this many agents under his command.

"You and the Commander," Reinhardt says quietly, "You are...?"

Jesse feels his face go hot. "I'm his second-in-command."

The look Reinhardt gives him is skeptical but not unkind. "Second-in-command, yes, of course. That is exactly what I meant." He smiles at Jesse and leans in closer. "I did not mean to make accusations. All I wished to say is that I am glad Commander Reyes has found a _second-in-command_ like you. After the Omnic Crisis, he was...unhappy. A lot of us were, on his behalf. He led the team that saved humanity, and in recognition of his leadership, he was given the same medal the rest of us got and had his command taken away. We followed him into many battles during the Crisis, and if he had called on us then, we would have followed him into that one as well."

Jesse leans back in his seat, shocked but not letting it show on his face. What Reinhardt is talking about is _mutiny_. That he's speaking about it this openly, with Jesse, a highly-untrustworthy Blackwatch agent--

Reinhardt's voice interrupts Jesse's train of thought. "Gabriel Reyes was unhappy. Now, he is happy, happier than I can remember seeing him in a very long while."

Jesse chuckles, pleased and embarrassed, his gaze drawn back across the room to Gabe in an attempt to avoid seeing whatever expression is on Reinhardt's face right now. He actually catches Gabe's eye this time, and Gabe excuses himself from the conversation he's in to make his way over to Jesse and Reinhardt.

"Everything okay over here, gentlemen?" he asks, standing above them, face even closer to that smile than it was before.

Reinhardt looks between the two of them and breaks out in a grin that goes from ear-to-ear. "No, no problem, sir. I'm sure that the two of you have much to discuss, getting ready for the debrief," he says. It takes a moment for him to clamber back to his feet, but when he's finally fully vertical again, he excuses himself, leaving Gabe and Jesse alone.

"What was that about?" Gabe asks, taking a seat in the space Reinhardt had vacated, making sure to leave an appropriate amount of distance between them.

Jesse shrugs. "Just catching up." 

Gabe stares at him, one eyebrow raised, but doesn't press the issue. They sit quietly, just enjoying being even this close to each other in public. 

"You know," Gabe says after a minute, "Reinhardt stopped by my office the other day, wanted to talk about you."

Jesse does his best to look disinterested. "Oh?"

"Yeah, he told me how impressed he is with how far you've come since joining Blackwatch. He said he's proud of the good work you're doing." Gabe pauses, scoots close enough to Jesse to nudge him gently with an elbow. "He's not wrong."

Jesse casts a sidelong look at Gabe. Gabe's still not smiling, but only just barely.

A smile tugs at Jesse's lips too as he says, "He told me you're happier than you used to be."

"He's...not wrong about that either," Gabe says.

They stop and look at each other, then across the transport at Reinhardt. He has inserted himself into the conversation Gabe had left; it looks like he and Shiga are getting along like a house on fire, and Liao is doing her best to egg them on. Eventually, Shiga's voice rises above the din, saying, "No way, you like Hasselhoff too?!" and then they start caterwauling what Jesse can only assume is a song. 

It's awful, but it's good, and Jesse smiles and lets himself lean a little bit closer to Gabe. They've earned it.


End file.
